True Demon?
by roo17
Summary: Sephiroth is a demon lost in an empty world. Cloud is a normal teen with the dream of becoming SOLDIER. And Zack is there to cause trouble every step of the way. But when Cloud meets the legendary demon Sephiroth one day, what will he do? Summary in ch1.
1. Prologue

**A True Demon?  
****Prologue**

It began in a place where there was no time. Where there was no place to be, no appointments to rush to, no one to take care of. A place where nothing existed, but one reason to be. Though this was a place said to be a place of nothing but pure darkness and emptiness, one creature remained here. One creature, himself, to walk along, torturing, for eternity. One creature to remain alone in the empty darkness of his own confused soul...

Both big and small blood splats decorated the old white-faded tiled walls of the narrow hall; as well as the worn, dark olive-green floor. Some drips even made it to the molding ceiling near the bright fluorescent flickering hall lights. Sephiroth continued to walk down the isle, stopping in front of a medium-sized mirror that was cracked into many sizes. His green-cat like eyes looked at his boots which were soaked with blood at the soles, and his sword running and dripping with the thick crimson liquid. He frowned. With a flick of his wrist, the blood that was on Masamune was suddenly splattered on the cracked mirror, completing the old, bloody look of the mirror. His lips slightly twitched at the corners of his mouth as he continued to stare at the reflecting object. Then, he continued to walk. Down the old, bloody and moldy hall, where no sign of any bodies were found. His shoes clicked and echoed as he walked with his sword in hand and his silver-silk hair swayed slightly side to side at his back. He continued down the hall, not looking back. Not even when a wing sprouted from his right shoulder blade, a few drops of blood laying softly on the quiet black feathers…


	2. Chapter 1: Birthday Present

True Demon  
Chapter One: Birthday Present

**Summary: Sephiroth is a demon lost in an empty world. Cloud is a normal teen with the dream of becoming SOLDIER. And Zack is there to cause trouble every step of the way. But when Cloud meets the legendary demon Sephiroth one day, what will he do? Cower in fear like the others would? Or help the demon become human once again? Not sure if there will be pairings just yet.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any characters/songs used in this story.**

x~s~c~z~x

Cloud Strife was a teen of fifteen, turning sixteen in less than a week. He was a teen of few words, wise decisions and very little friends. In fact, he had only one friend he could always trust to be there: Zack Fair. His other friend, Vincent Valentine, would always come to his aid if needed too, but was usually traveling from one place to another; hardly ever staying in one place for no more than three months. Cloud had met Zack when he entered ShinRa High, hoping to become a SOLDIER just like his friend. But becoming SOLDIER was as easy as drinking soup with a fork. Cloud had to study hard, being one of the few underaged students to be excepted early to school. Yes, at the moment he was only a mere Cadet, where Zack was First Class; but that didn't stop him from trying to reach for that star that hung overhead. His dream was to become a first, or maybe even reach General someday.

Yeah, like that would happen.

Only one person in history had even been named General at ShinRa, and become it at such an early age. (Thirteen). His name was known around the world as the world's greatest warrior. His name was Sephiroth. The man was a hero, winning many wars for the ShinRa Army. He was a master swordsman that could wield a blade seven feet long and sharper than any scalpel or razor blade ever made. He had named it Masamune, for reasons no one knew. His long silver hair and emotionless face were recognized by millions, and feared by almost all. Everyone knew never to bother the great General, well, everyone except Angeal and Genesis. They were his only two friends he ever had. They were tight, always looking out for one another. But then Genesis started to act weird, wanting Sephiroth's fame and heroism more and more. Then, finally, one day he just disappeared. No one could find him.

Sephiroth and Angeal searched everywhere for their lost friend, before they finally had to give up. The two were even tighter than before, not wanting to lose each other as they had with Genesis. They fought together, laughed together, and killed together. But then something happened, something not even Angeal could really understand. Sephiroth had gone insane, burning down a town he and Angeal were visiting. And before Angeal could even find his friend to stop him, Sephiroth was gone. He had vanished, just as Genesis did. Angeal, heartbroken over losing his last friend, went back to ShinRa and decided to teach at the school for a while; trying to busy his mind so he didn't have time to think about his friends he so dearly missed. Nine years later, he took in a student named Zack Fair, only fifteen and already a second class SOLDIER. He was one of the best students ShinRa had seen since Sephiroth. Angeal trained Zack for a year until he became a first at the age of sixteen. Two months ago, Angeal (now 26) bid Zack (18) a good luck and farewell as he set off to search for his two missing friends. Then, Zack met Cloud. And that's where our story begins. (Sorry took so long… was in the explaining mood.)

"Aw, come on, Cloud! It'll be fun!" Cloud gave a sigh as he ran his gloved hand through his golden spiky hair.

"No, Zack. I have to study for the upcoming tests."

"But they're still three weeks away! And besides, it's your birthday! Your _sixteenth_ birthday! You deserve to have fun on that day, not stay locked up in your room with a book glued to your nose."

"Zack, I need to study." Zack gave Cloud his best puppy eyes look, but Cloud seemed unaffected by the look, shocking Zack.

"Cloud! How can you resist my puppy look?" Cloud opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Zack. "Please, Cloud? For me? I swear it'll be the best day of your life. You'll have fun! Just… please?" Cloud uncrossed his arms and let out a breath.

"Fine. But there better not by any strippers involved." Zack grinned.

"Aw, you're no fun. But I knew you'd say something like that, so I have a backup plan! I was thinking we could sneak into the old ShinRa mansion and party there! It'll be a spooky and fun birthday! There's tons of space and rooms, and it's closed off so no one will be there to bother us!" Cloud looked nervously at Zack.

"ShinRa mansion? But, that's in Nibelheim… And I haven't been there since Sephiroth burned it down." Cloud could remember barely escaping the horrid flames that burnt down his house, along with his mother and friends. Though he was only four at the time, he could still remember with horrifying detail of what the smell of burning bodies smelt like, and the sound of his friends and family screaming to Gaia for help. He could remember running for his life, not being able to help even one person in his t-.

He felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder and he snapped his head up to look at Zack. "I'm sorry, I should have known better than to pick ShinRa mansion. I'll pick another place instead." Cloud shook his head.

"No, it's alright. It sounds exciting, I can't wait."

"You sure?" Cloud nodded, Zack grinned. "Alright!" Cloud looked at the wall to his side before speaking up.

"Zack, have I ever told you about what I saw that day?" Zack looked over his shoulder to his young friend.

"Huh? Yeah, about how you saw your town and folks burn in the flames. I already know, so there's no need to reexplain the dark day." Zack waved a dismissive hand as he walked towards the door to Cloud's room. "Now, how about we get off such a depressing subject and start packing for ShinRa mansion!"

"Did I ever tell you I saw Sephiroth?" Cloud continued, ignoring his friend. The First Class SOLDIER's hand froze on the brass doorknob, and he looked back over to Cloud.

"You _saw_ him?" Cloud gave a nod.

"I remember standing outside my house watching it burn wordlessly. In the corner of my eye I had spotted something silver, so I turned toward it and saw him. He was just standing there looking at me, or at least I think he was looking at me. I can't really remember his face. Just that he didn't look happy. He seemed… I don't know, _sad_. Like he didn't want to be there watching everything burn to ash. It was like he was being forced to do it."

"Forced?" Zack asked, incredulously. "Who could ever force Sephiroth to do anything?" More like_ 'who had the guts to even _try_ to force him?'_

"I have no idea…"

"So what happened? He just stood there looking at you?"

"Yeah. At first I though he was gonna kill me. I had seen his sword in his hand, with the blood of my friends on it. But instead, he just walked past me. After that, I ran." The blond cadet looked up at his friend with a fake half-smile. "I guess I'm lucky he didn't kill me on the spot, huh?"

"You bet you are. Anyway, lets start packing. Nibelheim is a two and a half day trip and we plan on getting there the day before your birthday." The two headed for the cadet's room and started packing their necessary baggage for their trip ahead. After all, it was gonna a fun one, according to _Zack_.

They left the next day in the afternoon, giving their quick goodbyes to Vincent. After that, they started their long journey, hitching a ride in a helicopter with Reno and Rude. Cloud silently thanked Gaia as Reno insisted that he drive the helicopter and not Zack, who was pouting to himself. They were dropped about a mile away from the town, thanking Reno and Rude for the ride.

"If you guys need anything, just give us a call and we'll come get you." Reno said, with some seriousness. Cloud gave a nod, as did Zack before heading off. It was thirteen minutes before they reached the recreated town of Nibelheim. After the General had burned it down, ShinRa had decided to rebuild the town to make it look as if the fire never existed. It was one of ShinRa's main priorities. _'When bad falls upon ShinRa, erase all evidence.' _Cloud's eyes swept over the town as he silently stood in the middle of the area. At first, he saw his town as it was; deserted. Then, he could see the town alive again, with music in the air and children running around playing. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Alright, to ShinRa mansion." As they walked up the mountain to the mansion, they hardly talked as they took in their environment. They even saw a part of the lifestream through a small vent on the way. They had only come across two monsters too, weak ones that were defeated quite easily. Then, they were there. The old mansion. Not to far away, about half a mile away, was the Nibelheim Mako Reactor. As Cloud took a step forward towards the mansion, a thought struck him.

"Zack, wasn't this the place where Sephiroth was last seen?"

"Actually, it is. Angeal and him came here to check out the reactors. While Angeal slept in the mansion, Sephiroth snuck down the town, lit it on fire and came back to the reactor."

"How did Angeal not see him at the reactor?"

"As soon as he saw the town on fire, he ran straight there to try and help, but he was too late. By the time he got back to the mansion, Seph was gone." This information slightly disturbed Cloud and he shifted a little as stood.

"Zack, you're not gonna go insane on me, are ya?" Zack raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"Me? Now Cloud, how could you say something like that? But nah, I won't. I don't have to worry about you, since you already are insane."

"Zaaack. I'm not as insane as you are." The two, now more relaxed, open the doors to the abandoned mansion and stepped inside. They looked around in awe, their voices echoing slightly through the building. The place was in good shape, for not being used in ten years. Only a few spiderwebs here and there, some dust laying around no rodents. Zack ran up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

"I call the bed near the window!" Cloud chased after him.

"Hey!" Zack jumped onto the bed, bouncing on the springy mattress. "At least the beds are still comfortable." Cloud observed. Zack got off the bed, coughing.

"Damn, I forgot there was dust on the bed. Eww, it tastes like moldy bread." Zack made a face and Cloud rolled his eyes as he set their stuff down. Once Zack got situated he checked the utilities. The electricity still worked, which Cloud found odd, as did the water; though it did have that rusty aftertaste.

"So, since you're the one 'planning' my birthday, what are we gonna do tomorrow?" The first class SOLDIER shook his finger at Cloud.

"Now that's a secret, my friend." He yawned. "Well, we better get some sleep. We got a lot to do tomorrow. Goodnight." And before Cloud could speak up, Zack plopped down on his clean (well, clean_er_) bed, pulled back the sheets and fell asleep. Cloud sighed and did the same thing. He looked out Zack's window to the moon and felt empty inside. Then he was out, falling into the hands of sleepiness.

"Cloud… Psst, hey… Cloud, you awake?… Cloud!" Cloud's eyes snapped open while he quickly sat up as someone shouted in his ear. His forehead banged against Zack's, and he fell back to the mattress with a groan and he clutched his head. Zack, unaffected by the small head-butt, smiled. "Happy Birthday Cloud! You're sixteen, how does it feel? Feel any different? Have you grown? Have gotten anymore muscle? Have you hit-"

"Zaaack, it's too early for this!" Cloud moaned, his head still throbbing. He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. "It's 6:45! What happened to letting the birthday boy sleep in?"

"Well I have a lot planned today, and it starts with this!" Zack lifted up a tray that had a plate full of eggs, bacon, toast, and a cup of milk. "Breakfast in bed! Here, eat up and give a yell when you're done. I still got some things to attend to." He gave the tray to Cloud who's mouth watered when the wonderful aroma of the food hit his nose.

"Hey Zack, when did you get up?"

"Oh, about five-ish. Now eat." Cloud looked at the food and picked up a forkful of eggs before eyeing the food suspiciously.

"I thought you couldn't cook…"

"Correction. I can cook eggs, bacon, toast and make a sandwich. Anything else, I can't cook. I'll be downstairs if ya need me." Zack slipped out the door as Cloud took a bite of his breakfast, chewing slowly as if he was expecting the food to explode. Surprisingly, the food was good _and_ eatable. After he finished his breakfast, he got dressed quietly and headed downstairs. When he got the bottom of the stairs, he was surprised to see the room decorated with a 'happy 16th birthday Cloud' banner. On the desk was a birthday cake and Zack wearing a white apron and chef hat. (Where did he get that stuff?) The black-haired male raised his hands in the air.

"Happy birthday!" A smile crept on Cloud's face.

"Zack, you didn't have to." The older man shrugged.

"I know. But I wanted to do something for your birthday. So I made a cake and I got you a present!" He pulled out a box that was wrapped in green wrapping with a red and yellow bow on top. Cloud walked over and picked it up.

"What is it?" He shook it, listening for any sounds. He heard a small jingling.

"Open it and you'll see." But before the ribbon could come off, Zack took the present back. "But we have to eat cake first." The blond cadet looked uncomfortably at the cake.

"I thought you said you weren't good at cooking anything but breakfast stuff…"

"I followed the instructions on the box. It didn't seem that hard. Now, let me cut you a slice." Zack took out a knife and cut the cake in two… only for it to explode everywhere. Cloud dropped to the floor and put his hands over his head for protection as Zack stood there, surprised. Pieces of cake spattered on the ceiling and walls and, mostly, on Zack. Cloud looked up, no cake had gotten on him. He saw Zack still standing there with the knife in his hand, smiling. _'Must be in shock…'_

"Zack?" The male blinked once before looked over at Cloud.

"…What just happened?"

"I think your cake just exploded…" The two stayed in their spots in silence until Zack wiped off any cake that got on him.

"Good thing I was still wearing this apron… Aaaand, here's your gift, Cloud!" He tossed it at the the blond, who caught it with ease. He tore the wrapping off before the gift could be swiped away again and blinked at his present.

"You got me a key?" Cloud asked. "How did you know I always wanted one?" Zack rolled his eyes.

"Haha, very funny. It's not just _any_ key, it's the key to your new motorcycle." Cloud looked at Zack unbelievably.

"You mean the one I saw in Midgar?"

"The one and only." A wide smile grew on Cloud's face as he looked back at his key.

"Wow, Zack. Thanks so much! I don't know what to say." Zack waved a dismissive hand, a wide grin on his own face.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you like it. Now, how about we go exploring?" Cloud nodded as he put his new key back in the box and set in on a part of the desk where there was no cake. "So, where shall we explore first?"

"How about the reactor?"

"Sounds good to me. Let's go!" They made their way out the front door and towards the reactor.

"Thanks again, for the present."

"Heh, you're welcome."

"How much did it cost?"

"That, sir, is none of your business." As they approached the Mako Reactor, Cloud came up with a question.

"Zack? When you were injected with the Mako, was it painful?"

"Yeah, it was. It feels as if there's glass running through your veins. It usually lasts no more than two days. If it goes for four days or more, something is very wrong."

"How long did yours last?"

"Only a day." Zack's phone rang and he pulled it out, checking who it was. Cloud could tell by the man's smile that it could only be one person. Zack flipped open his phone. "Hey Angeal! How are you?"

_"I'm good. I remembered today was your friends birthday."_

"Angeal says happy birthday." Cloud mouthed 'thank you.' "Cloud says thanks. So what have you been up to?"

_"I got some new information on the day Sephiroth disappeared. An ex Turk told me he was there to help rebuild the reactor. He said something about someone named Jenova."_

"Jenova… Wasn't that the name of Sephiroth's mom?"

_"Yes, which is why is disturbs me. Sephiroth was told his mother died. And he said something bout 'implanting Jenova cells.' I'm meeting with another Turk in a few minutes. I'll give you call as soon as I'm done."_

"Gotcha. I'll be waiting for that call."

_"I know you will, Zack. Take care."_

"You too." Zack hung up and looked at Cloud. "Angeal said the day Seph disappeared, an old Turk heard someone say 'Implanting Jenova Cells'. Jenova is Sephiroth's dead mother." Cloud raised an eyebrow as Zack grinned. "Looks like there's more to this reactor then we thought."

"You actually want to find something in there, don't you…"

"Of course! Ah, we're here already. Watch your step." They pulled open the door and stepped inside. The strong smell of Mako hit their noses and Cloud made a face. They looked around and saw capsules for organisms to be put in and experimented on. Cloud suddenly felt uneasy again. "Hey, look." Zack pointed up the stairs and at a door. "The door never shut all the way. Maybe we can sneak in." Zack made his way up the stairs and to the metal door. It was a foot and a half off the ground, just enough room for the two men to sneak under. Zack easily snuck under before motioning Cloud to follow. But as the blond continued to walk up the stairs, he stopped half way. He felt as if something was holding him there, something telling him not to sneak in. He contemplated on what to do. "Cloud, come on. What's taking ya?"

"Sorry, I was thinking. I'm coming." Cloud slid under the door and looked around. He saw something metal just ahead and gasped. The metal sculpture read 'JENOVA.' "But, that can't be…"

"Why would this still be here? Huh?" Zack walked up to it gave it a push. It fell to the side and revealed a headless body in a capsule. "Oh Gaia…"

"Where's its head?" Cloud asked, taking a step back against the door.

"I have no idea… Maybe Sephiroth took it." The cadet looked at Zack.

"Why would he take a head? It's a _head_, Zack." Cloud turned around so he could slip back out of the room, but the door suddenly activated and shut completely. Cloud took a step away from the door as Zack ran to his side.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, I was just about to leave." Zack inspected the door and sighed.

"Alright, stand back. I'm gonna take the door down." Zack pulled out his sword and readied himself. He ran to the door and lifted his weapon, bringing it down to strike it when a bright light engulfed the two boys. Cloud instinctively reached out and grabbed Zack's arm as he covered his eyes from the light. He felt as if he was going through a washer machine, he felt as if he was spinning and tumbling.

"Zack!" Zack's arm was ripped away from his grip and he reached out blindly, hoping to grab anything. But he was met with nothing and soon darkness consumed him as he started to fade into unconsciousness. He never should have listened to Zack, the man seemed to be a magnet for trouble. Before he completely slipped into darkness, he could hear Zack's voice echo in his mind.

'_Trust me, this will be a birthday you'll never forget_.'

**XxXxX  
****Yay! I finished the first chapter! *looks over it* Wow, that's a long chapter for me! So yeah, it probably doesn't make all that much sense now, but I will be updating soon! Maybe in a week or so. I hoped you guys liked the prologue. I got the idea from walking outside in the dark, listening to Get Out Alive by Three Days Grace and came across a cracked mirror… So please tell me what you thought of it! It would mean the world to me since I actually like this story of mine. Review please! Thank you!**

**~roo**


	3. Chapter 2: Face to Face

True Demon?  
hapter Two: Face to Face

**A/N: Still not sure about pairings yet… It might be a SephirothxCloudxZack story, or maybe a SephirothxCloud, ZackxCloud, but I'm not sure… What do you guys think? So here's chapter two! Hope you enjoy it!**

_He never should have listened to Zack, the man seemed to be a magnet for trouble no matter where he was. Before Cloud completely slipped into darkness, he could hear Zack's voice echo in his mind. 'Trust me, this will be a birthday you'll never forget…'_

x~s~c~z~x

Cloud smiled gently as he stood in the middle of his town, watching all the children play with each other. He watched as the adults ran around trying to finish errands before the day was over. He watched the birds fly by above and listened to the sound of laughter echo around him. To put it simply, he just stood there watching happily. He looked over towards his house and saw his mother waving through a window on the second floor. He smiled brightly and waved back. But then he blinked, and in that short second, the whole town was suddenly on fire again. Buildings were falling to ashes, children were on the ground dead, his mother was screaming for him to help her. But he couldn't move his legs. He was glued to the ground, watching horrified. He could hear babies cry as their lungs filled with smoke, and the sound of a man screaming as his flesh melted off his bone. But most of all, he could hear his mother. He looked back into the window and felt tears start to pool in his eyes. She was banging on the window, her right eye was hanging out of its socket and her left hand was nothing but bone with pieces of burnt flesh melted onto it. Her beautiful flower dress was aflame and her hair seemed to have turned white in horror. "Mom! Mom, I'm coming!" But he couldn't. He was still glued to the ground. Tears were now threatening to fall from his eyes, but the heat seemed to evaporate before they had the chance. His mother fell the ground in the house, and that was the last he saw of her. "_Mom!_"

"She's gone, along with the rest of your town." He spun around, able to move his feet again. The voice seemed empty and hollow, like a lifeless body had said it. He looked up with horror, fear, and pain in his eyes. He saw Sephiroth standing in front of him, his bloody sword in hand. He looked down at the blond cadet, no emotion on his face; though Cloud could have swore he saw something of regret. "Why did you come?" His lips never moved as he spoke.

"I…" Why _did_ he come? To see his mom again? To see his town alive and well again? "I don't…"

"Leave now. This is your only warning. The next time I see you, I will _not_ hesitate to kill you too." The General walked passed Cloud._ 'Is… this a dream?'_ He felt Sephiroth's silver hair brush against his face and he took in a breath. No, this couldn't be a dream. Everything was to real. He could feel the heat of the fire, the taste of smoke, the sound of screams. He saw the detail in the General's uniform, and even the smell of man that just walked by. No, it couldn't be a dream, right? He threw his hand out forward to grab the General's arm. _'What am I doing? Why do I have the urge to almost _comfort_ the man who burnt down my town?'_ He grabbed the man's arm and the General turned toward him. He looked up at Sephiroth, who seemed to have a surprised face. The man opened his mouth to say something, but a loud bang made them both look in the direction the sound came. Then he opened his eyes, and woke up.

**XxXxX**

Angeal nodded to the Turk as he pulled out his phone and walked away. He had gotten a little bit more information on the day Sephiroth disappeared. He dialed Zack's number and waited for someone to answer. No one did. Angeal frowned. He knew Zack always answered his phone. He called again, but still, no one answered. "Damn it. What the hell happened?" He dialed another number quickly. "Reno, where's Zack? Nibelheim? Thanks." He shoved his phone back into this pocket and started off to the nearest helicopter pad. "Zack, you better be alright…"

**XxXxX**

Cloud opened his eyes and groaned. "Ngh, where am I?" He slowly sat up and looked around. He was in a small square room. The white tiled walls were moldy from age as was the green floor and grey ceiling. "Zack?" Zack was nowhere in sight and Cloud felt panic rise inside him. "Zack! Where are you?" His voice echoed in the small room and he got to his feet. He started to walk towards the big metal-hinged door in front of him and set his hand on it. He gave a small push, and it opened. He found himself in a small hall and felt very uneasy. If this was some kind of sick joke Zack had planned for him, he didn't like it at all. Cloud looked around the small bloody hall and noticed no bodies in sight. _'Where did all this blood come from?'_ He gazed back at the walls. It was as if the blood had suddenly oozed out from the wall itself. And what disturbed him even more was that the blood looked _fresh_, as if it were only shed not ten minutes ago. He took a step and looked around, expecting someone to jump out at him and attack. After a minute of waiting, he continued down the hall. He passed a cracked mirror and pondered if he should stop and look at it, but decided to pass. He continued down the bloody hall for a good eight minutes before he finally came to a door that was almost completely covered in blood._ 'What should I do? Should I enter?' _He raised his hand and swallowed hard. _'I need to find Zack, and for all I know, he could be behind this door. So just open the door, look inside and go…_' He put a hand on a part of the door that didn't have blood and pushed.

Cloud found himself in a huge room. He looked around in awe. It wasn't as big as the mansion's room, but this was still pretty big. In the middle of the room was a black velvet throne, where light from a small skylight in the high ceiling shined down on it. (Sound slightly familiar?) He walked up to it, touched it, then turned around to view the rest of the place. To his left was a room, which he guessed could have been a bedroom. To his right was another door, this one open. He saw a giant bookshelf with many different colored shapes and sizes of books. He would have taken the time to look around the whole room if he hadn't spotted a familiar figure now sitting in the black velvet throne behind him. The man had his right arm propped up on one of the throne's arms with his head resting against his hand. He opened his eyes and looked at Cloud, who was just two feet away. His silver hair shined in the light and his green cat eyes glowed.

"S… Sephiroth."

"What are you doing here?" Cloud swallowed.

"I'm looking for my friend, Zack." Sephiroth continued to stare at the cadet. He studied the boy who stared right back. "W… Where are we?" Sephiroth ignored the question.

"How did you get here."

"I… I'm not sure. We were in the reactor with Jenova for a second, then the next we were surrounded by light…"

"What were you doing with Jenova?" Sephiroth demanded, standing up. Cloud took a step back.

"N-Nothing, sir. We accidentally found her and then the light surrounded us then I had a dream about my town burning and you were there and I grabbed your arm and I woke up here." Cloud rambled quickly, feeling his fear start to rise.

"I thought you looked familiar." The General slightly relaxed, earning a confused stare from Cloud.

"Sir…?"

"You're that boy I spared ten years ago in Nibelheim." Then the General's eyes narrowed again. "And what do you mean 'dream'?" Cloud opened his mouth to speak but stopped. _'This is only a dream… I'm not really here, and neither is he. Zack's fine, he's in the mansion cooking a cake for me thats gonna explode and I'm still in bed asleep. So he can't hurt me, he can't kill me. But they say if you die in your dream, you die for real. Is that true? Maybe I should-'_ Sephiroth took a step forward. "Speak, cadet." Cloud snapped to attention out of reflex.

"You burnt down my town again and you said to leave or you'd kill me. But as you walked away I reached out to grab your arm and you were surprised, sir. I don't know why you didn't kill me, sir, but I don't know why you were surprised when I grabbed either. The explosion in my dream woke me, and now here I am, searching for my friend Zack and talking to you, sir." The General remained quiet for a few moments before turning back to the boy.

"What is your name, cadet."

"Cloud Strife, sir."

"At ease, Strife." Cloud didn't relax. "Who's your friend you are looking for?"

"Zack Fair, First Class SOLDIER."

"Basic Info on him. Now."

" Zack Fair, became a First at sixteen. Was mentored by Angeal Hewley for a year. Grew up in Gongaga, has no siblings."

"Angeal? I see…" Cloud looked around the room once more before opening his mouth.

"Sir, may I ask where we are?"

"You are in the emptiness of my soul, Cadet. This is my punishment she gave me for not following her orders."

"She?"

"Jenova, the calamity. My mother. She took over my body temporarily so she could burn down your town. But when I came across you, she ordered my to kill you. I ignored her, and this is my punishment. To forever roam in the darkness of my soul, torturing invisible souls. To live in eternity by myself as a demon." Cloud looked at the ground a felt a large amount of guilt and sadness build inside of himself. Sephiroth was to suffer for an eternity… because of him?

"Sir, I don't see you as a demon." Sephiroth snapped his head towards Cloud, who now had started walking towards him. "it's not your fault you burnt the town down. You're still a hero to many. Even Angeal refused to believe you are gone." Cloud held his hand out to the General, who now glared hard at the blond. "I'll take you back to reality, back to where you belong." A black wing sprouted from the General's shoulder and Cloud gasped.

"I am a demon and monster, and demons and monsters don't have a place to belong." Sephiroth growled, and Cloud could sense the emotion of fear start to rise in him again. The wing spread out and stretched and Cloud couldn't help but stare. "Before I was born, I was implanted with Jenova cells. I was born a perfect monster, only to be viewed as a tool of war. People fear me and cower in my presence. I have always be different, and nothing shall change that. And a cadet like yourself can't bring me out of this hell even if you tried."

"I used to think the same thing." Cloud looked at the ground. "I know I'm different too, I always have been. The kids always ignored me, never play with me. All they would do was beat me up. And when you spared only me from the town's fire, I thought I was born only feel pain. To never be loved. I thought that until I met Zack a year ago. He showed me that, no matter who or what you are, you can always be loved." He reached forward and quickly took the General's arm in his hand. "And you say I can't bring out of this hell even if I tried? Well, if that_ is_ the truth, then at least I _tried_ to help you." Cloud pulled with all his might, and the General fell forward, reaching for Masamune as he did. Cloud brought him into a tight embrace and the world went black...

"Cloud! Spike, come on, wake up! Open your eyes! Cloud!" Cloud coughed a few times before opening his eyes. Zack was above him, a worried look painted on his face. "Cloud?"

"Ugh, where am I? I feel like I've been sleeping for days…"

"You've been out for three hours. I thought you died, I was so worried." Cloud sat up and rubbed his neck.

"Why do my clothes smell like Mako?"

"I found you lying a puddle of it, though I have no idea how it got there."

"Where were you? I couldn't find you…"

"I don't know. I was in some sort of room with no doors or anything. All there was was blood on the walls. I couldn't find you either. After a while, I woke up next to that vent we saw on the way up here." Zack crossed his arms and looked around. "But I have no idea how I got there. And I have no idea how you got back to the mansion. I found you laying right by the door of the mansion, as if someone put you there."

"Man, what a dream. I'm glad I'm awake now. I don't want to sleep for another week if it means no dreams."

"Yeah, me too. You wanna get out of Nibelheim? Or, at least, out of this mansion?"

"Yeah, I do. Before something else weird happens." The two quickly gathered up their stuff and headed out the mansion, not even bothering to clean up the exploded cake in the main room. They closed the front door behind themselves and smiled. Zack put a hand on Cloud's shoulder and grinned.

"See, I told ya this would be a birthday you'd never forget." Cloud smiled and they looked forward and saw someone standing there. Zack instantly brought his hand to his sword. Cloud stared for a second before realization hit him. He blinked.

"Sephiroth, what are you doing here?"

"Glad to see you're finally awake. I wanted to thank you before I left, Cloud. Because of you, I am finally free."

"So what are you going to do now?" Zack looked between the two confusedly.

"Wait, you two know each other? When did this happen? And free from what? And where did he come from?"

"I'm not sure what I'll do next. It's been years since I've been in this world." He looked up at the sun-hidden sky, his silver hair shining in the dim light.

"Guys?"

"You can stay with me and Zack for now. Or maybe you can move back to ShinRa. No one's touched your office since the day you left."

"Will someone answer me?" Zack pouted to himself.

"I doubt I'll return there. There will be lots of questions I do not wish to answer." The General looked at Cloud. "Is Hojo still there?"

"Yes, sadly. The creep should be killed." Sephiroth nodded in agreement. Zack threw his hands in the air.

"Why am I being ignored!"

"Well, if you have nowhere else to go, you're always free to stay with us. I'm sure Zack wouldn't mind."

"Wait, you didn't even ask me! And I'm still being ignored… That hurts…"

"If anything, I'll probably just rent a hotel if I need to. I need to get in touch with this world again." Cloud nodded, and was suddenly tackled to the ground back his First Class friend.

"Cloud! Can you hear me? Hello?" Zack pinched Cloud's cheeks as he sat on the younger boy's stomach.

"Yes, Zack, I can hear you!" Cloud swatted Zack's hands away and the man gave a sigh of relief.

"Good. For a second I thought I was a ghost or something. You kept ignoring me. Now, I have a few questions. One, where did you meet him?" Zack pointed to Sephiroth, who was standing there looking at the old mako reactor to the side.

"I met him in my dream. No, wait, I met him in his soul? It's complicated."

"Okaay, two! Free from what?"

"His soul. He was being punished for not completing his task of destroying everyone in Nibelheim. Jenova kept him wandering in his soul."

"Oooh, I see," said Zack as he nodded and stood up. He walked toward Sephiroth and held his hand out. "Zack Fair, sir. Nice to meet you! I've always wanted to be a hero, just like you!" Sephiroth hesitantly shook the man's hand. Zack opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly noticed the black wing on the man's back and stared.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that he's a 'demon'." Cloud quoted the word demon with his fingers. Zack instantly reached out to touch the wing and slowly pet it. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"So soft… Can I have it?" Zack asked innocently. Sephiroth blinked.

"No." Zack instantly pouted, turned his back to the man and crossed his arms. Cloud rolled his eyes and got up, patting the dust off his clothes.

"Well, let's go Cloud. We better be getting back I guess."

"Wait, what about Sephiroth?"

"I'm still mad at him."

"For what? Burning down my town? Zack, it's not his fault."

"Of course I'm not mad at him for that." Zack said, pointing towards Sephiroth. "I'm mad cause he won't give me a wing like that!"

"Are you serious?" Sephiroth spoke up, making the two look up at him. "This is the wing of a demon. Why would want it?"

"Cause it's nice! ….and soft." Zack suddenly found himself petting Sephiroth's wing again and the older man sighed.

"Sorry, I should have warned you better about Zack. He can be quite hyper. But he always turns a negative thing into a positive." The General opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by another familiar voice.

"Zachary Fair!" All three men looked towards the towns direction and saw Angeal standing not too far from them. The man seemed to be slightly panting and sweating and Zack smiled; jogging over to his friend's side.

"Angeal! Hey, what are you doing-"

"I've been worried about you! You didn't answer your phone for an hour and a half! I thought you were injured, or dead! And-"

"Easy there, Angeal. Hey, look who my buddy Cloud found. Look familiar?" Zack pointed to Sephiroth, who seemed to have made his wing disappear back into his shoulder.

"Zack, I don't have time for your games. I- Sephiroth?"

"Angeal, it's been too long."

"Sephiroth… Yes, it has. Where…?" Zack clapped his hands and rubbed them together before grabbing his stuff and Cloud's arm.

"Weeell, we'll leave you guys to catch up on everything. Me and Cloud will be heading back to ShinRa now. See ya guys later!" The two slipped away before anything else could be said. Zack elbowed Cloud in the arm and winked at him. "See, told ya it would be a birthday you'd never forget." Cloud rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but smile.

"You know what I think we should do? I say we rent ourselves our own house." Zack raised an eyebrow and shouldered his bag.

"Why? The rooms at ShinRa are nice, and free. Or is it that you don't like your roommates?"

"Well they _are_ asses…" Cloud muttered. "But actually, I've been thinking about for a while. And this way, if Sephiroth doesn't have a place to stay, he can also stay with us."

"Sure. We can all split the rent and get a three bedroom house. Sounds nice to me. Now, about those roommates…"

**XxXxX**

**Yes, I made the ending purposely suck. But it's for a good reason! There will be roommate-butt kicking! :D so stay tuned~! This chapter sucks, I didn't want Cloud and Sephiroth's meeting to go as it did. So I'll redo it in a few weeks. And I'm sorry for the late update. Life's been boring, yet busy. And I will be revising this chapter sometimes next week. In the next chapter, more questions will be answered! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I love you guys! :D**


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